In JFK I got on the 16-hour Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong. It was 3pm in the New York afternoon, and 3am in HKG—exactly halfway around the world.

The Boeing 777 took off, I had lunch, and I took a short nap.

I always set my watch to the destination time when boarding a flight, so it was now sunrise in Hong Kong… with 13 hours to go. What’s next?

I like long flights, but this was pushing it even for me. I had the whole day set out before me, with nowhere to go and nothing much to do except what I made for myself.

I ordered coffee and sparkling water, then set up shop and got to work on a series of tasks. By the time I arrived in Asia, I hoped to:

*Draft a blog post
*Draft a newspaper column
*Revive my desperate-action-needed Inbox from 300 to 75
*Review an upcoming writing project
*Decide on a business strategy for another upcoming project

I got down to work on these tasks and found fulfillment as I go through the list. I also watched half of a movie, which is all I can usually handle, and caught up on an important game of Kingdom Rush on my iPad.

The day in North America faded away as we began our flight across the Pacific, chasing the sun. The day in Asia went by and the sun finally disappeared outside my window.

Did I use this time well? Did I feel alive, and did I do something that mattered?

I remember watching the entire day unfold like this in other parts of the word. I remember the long bus rides through Africa that stretched out over hours that seem endless.

Sure, there are some obvious differences between African buses and Cathay Pacific Business Class. But there is so much similarity too. In either mode of transport, you wait. You keep waiting. And you wait some more.

One time I rode the bus through the night and into the next morning. The day after, the same disorienting feeling: another day passes by outside the window. We change borders and there’s a new stamp in my passport, but the world looks the same.

I feel this way on ferries, on trains, on long drives through the U.S. Always getting closer to something while putting distance behind something else.

But really, what is life but to love and to create? And to keep moving along, always choosing forward motion and never backtracking.

***

I staggered off the plane at 8pm local time. I still had another flight ahead of me, a three-hour hop to Bangkok, but first I sat on the floor of HKG airport and logged on to the world. Greetings, everyone.

My outbound messages lept into space and a flock of new ones swooped in, the yin-yang of email management.

When I walked to the lounge and prepared to board the flight, I was already moving on. Time to think about the next stop, the next project, the next level of the tower.

What are you working on over there?

###

Image: Paul

A few weeks ago I mentioned I had created a page on the site that lists current airline mileage credit card bonuses. With just a couple of new cards, you can earn 100,000 miles or more—and then book round-trip plane tickets all over the world.

Much to my surprise, card bonuses have continued to get better and better over the past couple of years. It’s never been easier to earn a large stash of points or miles that you can quickly convert to plane tickets and hotel stays.

I’ve now created a whole minisite to serve as a free resource for those who are interested. We’ll keep this site updated with current offers and more detailed information on how you can take advantage of mileage earning for years to come.

—>Check out CardsforTravel.com here

***

Questions and Attempted Answers

Since posting the link to the initial page, I’ve received a ton of questions about how airline credit card bonuses work. Here are the most frequently asked ones, along with the answers. If you ever need help with specific recommendations, you can email me as well.

Q. How do you manage multiple credit cards responsibly?

A. Credit cards are a great way to maximize mileage, but must be handled with care. Apply for the best offers, keep track of the cards you have and be sure to meet any required minimum spending so you get your miles or points. The best way to manage multiple cards is to be sure you can pay off the balance each month. If you’re trying to get out of credit card debt, this probably isn’t the best way for you to get miles.

Q. I can only get 1-2 cards. Which should I get?

A. Different cards work better for different people, but long story short, my new favorite is the Chase Sapphire card. It offers a mega-bonus of 50,000 points which can be transferred to a variety of airline and hotel partners (including United/Continental and Hyatt), no foreign transaction fees, and the annual fee is waived for year one.

I also like the AA Citi cards and have been getting them for years on a 90-day cycle, reapplying after I’ve fulfilled the requirements for one card, getting the bonus, and then moving on to another.

Q. Do you cancel the cards after a year, when the annual fee comes due?

A. I usually keep them for a year, then see what happens. Sometimes I call up and say I want to cancel and they waive the fee. Other times, they shift the card into a no-fee version (which doesn’t earn as many points, but I don’t care since I’m not actively using it then).

On a couple of occasions, I’ve kept the card and paid the fee if I’m still using it frequently.

Q. Can I get a business card without a business?

A. Yes. One of the easiest ways to double your points bonus is to get both a personal and business card from the same issuer. For example, you can get the Chase Sapphire card mentioned above and receive a 50,000 point bonus—and you can also get the Chase Ink Bold card and receive an additional 50,000 points. The same strategy holds with the Starwood Preferred Guest Business card.

Similarly, you can get an AA card from Citi for a 30,000 mile bonus, and also add the AA Hilton version for an additional 40,000 Hilton hotel points. If you have a willing spouse or partner, they can do their own applications—so as you can imagine, the bonuses add up very quickly.

Q. I was declined. What should I do?

A. Sometimes a decline is not really a decline. All of the systems are automated, and the odds are at least 50% that you can get it approved if you call in to request a manual review. When you receive a letter stating that you’re declined, there is sometimes a number listed for questions.

For Chase cards, the reconsideration line is 888-245-0625. Call this number and say that you’re eager to get the new card(s) because of the great benefits. The representative will ask you a number of questions, then let you know if they can make it work. As mentioned, at least 50% of the time, this strategy will work as long as your credit score meets their minimum standard.

Q: What about cards for outside the U.S.?

A. There are some, but not many. In Canada we recommend the AmEx Business Gold card, which includes a 25,000 point bonus after completing an initial spend of $3,000, and the AmEx Starwood cards (two versions) which each offer an immediate 15,000 point bonus. If we find more for Canada or other countries, we’ll add them to the list.

***

I know that not everyone is able to do multiple card applications, and if you’re outside North America, your options are limited. But for those who are able, don’t ignore this possibility—you can get a lot of miles very quickly, and put the miles to good use in seeing the world for nearly free.

Here’s the link again:

–>Airline Credit Cards with Mileage Bonuses

Based on your input, I’ll be updating this minisite a bit over the next couple of weeks. If anyone has any other questions in the meantime, I’m happy to help.

Happy travels,

Disclosure: I receive referral bonuses on some of these cards. I only recommend cards I use myself, and you don’t need to use the links on that page if you don’t want to.

###

Image: Ztephen

*World Domination Summit: Final Ticket Sales*

Earlier this morning we opened the final wave of ticket sales for WDS 2012. We sold out all 400 remaining tickets immediately (well, in 9 minutes), but due to various transaction errors, about 80 tickets were put back in the queue.

These tickets are now available on a first-come, first served basis here –>

#WDS2012 Registration

UPDATE: All tickets are now gone.

***

Here are a few answers to questions I’ve received:

Can you stream the event online for those who can’t come? No, sorry. I love the internet, but #WDS is all about being together in one place.

Do you have any scholarships? No, sorry. WDS costs less than almost any other weekend event, and we don’t make any money from it. In fact, last year I lost more than $25,000 on it—this isn’t about us making a profit, and it costs a lot to put everything together.

Can I be a speaker? Our main-stage speaking roles are finalized—not all are announced yet, but they’re all selected. All registered attendees are welcome to submit proposals for workshops and breakout sessions, which will be expanded this year. We’ll have a process for this after finalizing the registration.

Can I be a volunteer? We will indeed have a crew of “Ambassadors” to work during the weekend. These volunteers must be Portland-based, and we’ll have an application process in March 2012. (FYI, everyone on the action team that produces WDS is a volunteer too—no one is paid, including me.)

Happy Tuesday,

###

I always knew it would happen one day.

Having successfully arrived in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Angola without the necessary visas, I had been pushing my luck.

Having challenged Belarus to a blogging duel, complete with a response by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I was no stranger to difficult countries.

But last weekend in Eritrea, the luck ran out.

Let’s be clear: I’m not interested in taking unnecessary risks. In each case where I’ve had to take my chances on traveling without a visa, it was because all other options had exhausted themselves. I would have much preferred to have the necessary permission instead of trying to pull off an East African wedding crasher routine. Nevertheless, sometimes the best laid plans fall by the wayside, and that’s when you have to make a decision.

In Saudi Arabia’s case, the New York consulate came through with the visa at the last possible minute—and then promptly mailed my passport back to Portland, instead of holding it for local pickup on my way out of the country as agreed. Angola just kept the money and returned my passport without a word—and without the visa.

Eritrea, however, was the worst offender of all. Having paid for the visa a total of three times and waited a full 90 days with my passport at their Washington, D.C. embassy without results, I was in a quandary. With only 15 countries left on my list and 13 months to go, I couldn’t keep putting it off.

I decided to go for it and travel to the country anyway. What choice did I have? Passive resistance wasn’t getting me very far.

I managed to obtain my Egypt Air boarding passes in Madrid with only minimal subterfuge. Airlines are responsible for ensuring that passengers have the necessary approvals before traveling, so I knew there would be an interrogation of sorts. I decided I wouldn’t lie if directly asked about something, but I wasn’t above leaving out a few key facts if necessary.

It wasn’t that difficult; the agent was bored and had already printed the boarding passes when she remembered to check on the visa. I showed her my paperwork with a smile (but without the visa) and she wished me a good trip. So far, so good.

After a four-hour flight to Cairo, I powered up with an espresso and chocolate muffin. While sipping the coffee and preparing to board the final flight, I thought about the possible outcomes for the night ahead, based on ten years of experience in convincing random countries to allow me to visit.

Outcome 1: It would take some doing, but I’d get the entry visa upon arrival after pleading my case to various higher-ups. Predicted odds: 50%.

Outcome 2: I would get the entry visa upon arrival without any trouble at all, and my whole concern would be for nothing. Predicted odds: 25%.

Outcome 3: I would have a serious problem, would not get the entry visa, and would be thrown out of the country or thrown into jail. Predicted odds: 25%.

***

We landed after 2am and I was wide awake with nervous excitement. What would happen? How would the night end? Do Eritrean prisons have WiFi?

The plane parked on the tarmac and I rode a shuttle bus to the terminal with all the other passengers, most of whom were Eritrean. I began to feel relieved as the bus made the short trip; despite the late hour, everyone was smiling. Some of them caught my eye and said, “Welcome to Eritrea!”

“Welcome home!” I said in reply. The friendliness was a good sign, I thought.

Upon arrival at the first immigration blockade, however, I quickly realized that Option 2—the easy entry without any trouble—was definitely out.

“You don’t have a visa?” the first guy asked, seeming genuinely surprised.

“Not yet,” I said, projecting confidence and wearing my only nice shirt of the trip. (I had even made sure to tuck it in before landing. When crashing a country, you only get one chance to make a first impression.)

I had no visa, but I was not without ammunition. “Here is my landing card, my passport photo, my hotel reservation, and my return ticket,” I said, presenting the papers with a flourish. “How much does the visa cost?”

This ruse often works. Four years of arguing with numerous government leaders in West Africa followed by another six years of frequent international travel has taught me the power of paper. If you don’t have the right piece of paper for the job, bring lots of other paper instead.

Unfortunately, the paper-pushing trick didn’t work on the first guy, and the second guy I was referred to didn’t even look at any of the printouts. I kept getting passed off higher and higher until I finally ended up in the office of the Chief Immigration Officer. It was here I would make my last stand.

Alas, this final challenge didn’t begin well. In another ominous sign, the Chief Immigration Officer was not nearly as friendly as the smiling Eritreans I had rode in on the bus with. I tried some light banter: “Wow, I’m really excited to be here. Do you guys have a hop-on, hop-off bus? Any theme parks I should visit?”

Despite my brilliant attempt at making friends, the boss didn’t seem very interested in getting to know me. An offer of a complimentary Turkish Airways amenity kit from a previous flight was also swatted away.

I sat and waited, feeling optimistic (“60/40 odds,” I told myself. “Maybe even 70/30″). Calls were made. Officials were dispatched to check the records to see where I had previously applied for visas at the embassy in Washington. Long conversations about me were conducted in a language I didn’t understand, although naturally I assumed that the phrases “bestselling author” and “popular Facebook page” were spoken.

The longer I waited, the more the odds improved—or so I thought. Another rule of these situations is that if you keep sitting around patiently, eventually they’ll get bored and let you in. Unfortunately, every immigration rule has an exception. All of a sudden, the waiting shifted to action, and the action wasn’t good.

In Which It All Comes To An Abrupt End

I couldn’t believe it, but after two hours of making new friends while gently pleading my case, I was going out on the return flight to Cairo… which now left in ten minutes. No way! But indeed, that was the plan, and I had no vote in the matter. I was assigned a handler, marched outside the airport, and guided around to the departure area in front. I was disappointed and sleep-deprived, but as I was given a hand-written boarding pass, I remembered to ask the all-important question: “Can you add my Frequent Flyer number?”

Yes, if I was really going to be deported, at least I’d earn miles for it. It’s 1,130 miles from Asmara to Cairo, plus any special “last minute deportation” bonuses that happen to be available this week. Lesson: never pass up miles or points when they come your way.

Everyone else had boarded and the plane was ready to go. My handler, the Egyptian Airlines station manager, and a couple of hangers-on walked me back out the tarmac and up the steps of the waiting plane. Inside the cabin, the station manager handed my passport to the purser and instructed him to return it only upon reaching the transit desk in Cairo. I never like to be without my passport, but such was the price to pay for being deported.

The plane took off and I dozed against the window, looking down at Asmara as we prepared to leave Eritrean airspace on the way back to Egypt. Exhaustion was creeping in after staying up all night, but the whole time I was thinking about one important question: does this count as a country visit?

Ask the Readers: Does This Count?

People often ask what my criteria is for visiting a country. Long story short, I don’t really have any. My one rule is that I don’t count airport stops—I can’t just be in transit somewhere. I’ve been on two flights that have touched down in Khartoum, for example, but since I didn’t get off the plane, I still can’t say that I’ve been to Sudan.

This case is trickier, though. I’ve paid to go to Eritrea on multiple occasions. I did make it to the airport, and even outside the airport. I had an extended interrogation session with several interesting people. It wasn’t like going on a tour of the interior and stopping by a few villages, but it was certainly a story-worthy experience.

Even if it probably shouldn’t count as a true visit, the honest truth is that I really don’t know if I’ll be allowed back into Eritrea, at least anytime soon. After 90 days of pestering the embassy and paying the fee three times, they still returned my passport with no visa.

The Eritreans I talked with have all been very friendly, much like the Ethiopians I know. But the government has a reputation for being hostile and highly secretive. Eritrea is in a long-standing conflict with Ethiopia, and the U.S. government is on the side of the Ethiopians. I’ve never held any position in the government and don’t have anything to do with politics, but when it comes to immigration and travel restrictions, these things matter.

When I visited Angola last year, I also had visa problems and wasn’t expecting to be able to enter the country, instead planning an extended transit. After much stress with the embassy and repeated payoffs, I had finally made my peace with accepting that the Angola visit might need to have an asterisk next to it. Much to my surprise, however, when I went there I was actually allowed free reign of Luanda—thus obviating the need for the asterisk. I’m tempted to put this visit in the same category, but I’d like to know what you think.

For those who are still reading, have I officially been to Eritrea, or will I need to regroup yet again and make another plan?

Share your opinion (yes/no/something else) here.

Go easy on me…

###

Next week is the final round of ticket sales for the World Domination Summit! Tickets will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis to this waiting list.

Image: Mike

After a product launch and a few frantic days copyediting a book manuscript, I got on a plane and left to see the world.

It began with a 4:30am alarm and a taxi to the airport. I hopped the early Alaska Air flight down to LAX, took an afternoon American Airlines departure to Kennedy, and another late-night AA flight to Barcelona. Non-stop travel with a lot of stops.

In BCN I wandered the empty concourse at 5:45am. Boarding to Madrid was an hour later, but I had to switch to the Euro zone flight area, which means going through immigration and getting an entry stamp.

In Madrid I went through another process—shuffling down to baggage claim, out to the terminal shuttle bus, and over to Terminal 1. I then transferred to the non-Euro zone area and went through immigration again. Stamp-stamp. (The extra stamps are annoying, filling up my passport page for no good reason.)

The check-in with Turkish Airways was efficient, and I wandered off to board for Istanbul and beyond with only a slight delay in the departure lounge. By this point I was exhausted and slept for most of the four-hour flight. I perked up just in time for the fourth transit stop of the weekend.

Istanbul is a place I like but hardly know. I made a mental note to add Turkey to the list of places I’d like to spend more time in when the quest is over.

I went to the lounge, ate some Turkish pizza and prepared for the final flight: destination Dushanbe, Tajikistan. This flight was to board at 7pm and arrive at 3:45am, but with a three-hour change in between.

Where’s Tajikistan, you ask? It’s in the heart of Central Asia, a region that intimidated me until I actually went there and discovered it can be both welcoming and fun. Once this visit is complete, I’ll have only one “stan” remaining. Turkmenistan, the final frontier, will be coming up soon.

But I’m not so sure about showing up in January. Walking outside to meet my driver, I’m reminded of my Canadian book tour, which was also in the dead of winter and involved lots of walking around in cities without a coat.

Fortunately, the heat in the minivan is blasting, and I enjoy the ride as the driver points out various sights along the way. When we pull up to the Dushanbe Hyatt at 4am, I attempt the traveler’s trick of being naïve about check-in times.

I had emailed the hotel in advance to ask about airport transfers, and they offered to add an existing night to my reservation. It was fairly expensive, though, and I knew I’d have at least some chance of early check-in. In the past I’ve shown up as early as 8am, playing it cool and pretending that it’s normal to check-in several hours in advance of the advertised check-in time.

When informed of the policy, the best response is to be surprised: “Oh, really? Well, I suppose I can sit over on this bench until you have a room.”

I’ve never sat more than an hour when using this strategy. Most of the time, I sit for a few minutes, then all of a sudden a room becomes available. But 4am is really pushing it, and it doesn’t work this time. I decide to change tactics. “How much will it cost to check in now?”

“There is a 100% penalty,” the night clerk says, meaning that I’ll have to pay for a full night’s stay.

“100% is a lot,” I say. “How about 50%?”

And here’s the difference between a place like Russia itself, which I found inflexible and harsh, and a place like Central Asia, which retains the bureaucratic essence of the Soviet Union but also has a heart. The clerk picks up the phone to call the manager, but then puts it back down, making his own decision.

“OK,” he says. “Pay 50% for the extra day, and you can check-in now.”

Half price for a real shower, real internet, and a real bed is worth it. I head up to the 10th floor, enter my room, and settle in. First step: Always unpack everything before doing anything else. Put the running shoes by the door, the shirts in the closet, the laptop on the desk, and the watch by the bed.

I look out my window and see the morning light slowly beginning to shine in. There is snow on the ground below, mountains off in the distance, and a mosque next door.

The hotel is a good base for writing and catching up after the 72 hours it required to get here. Tomorrow I’ll bundle up and go on a city tour, and then I’ll decide what to do after that. I’d love to run down the wide streets I saw on the way in, but with temperatures of 28°F / -2°C, I might stick to the hotel gym.

***

The upcoming weekend’s adventure involves an attempt to visit Eritrea. For months my visa service has kept me waiting on the application, telling me everything is normal even though I learned at mid-point that the service has never done a successful application for a non-Eritrean applicant.

I was frustrated at their lack of urgency in badgering the consulate, which is exactly what you pay a processing service to do. Finally I talk it over with myself and realize the obvious lesson:

Stop pushing on something that isn’t going to happen. Forget about the rules and get on the plane anyway. Think of a good story that will allow you to purchase a visa upon arrival that isn’t supposed to be available. You’ve done this before and haven’t gone to jail yet, at least not as an adult. (Knock on wood.)

That’s the adventure for Friday through Sunday, and I determine to make sure to have a post ready to go for Monday just in case Eritrean jails don’t have WiFi hotspots.

But first, I’ve made it to country #178, and I’m glad. I lay down on the bed and fall fast asleep.

###

Do you have an iPhone? I finally caught up to 2007 and have been posting travel photos on Instagram (user: 193countries). You can also follow me on Google+.

Image: Neil

Here’s the scenario: you arrive very late at an airport you haven’t been to before. Security takes forever, but the flight is on time—which means you’re even more rushed.

You walk into the terminal and look for your gate: A70. Damn… you’re currently at A18. Above you is an “Express Train” that runs between A1 and A75 with an unknown number of intermediate stops.

You know if you take the escalator up to the train and catch a ride it could be faster—but remember, you’re unfamiliar with this airport.

Will you have to wait for the train to arrive? How much faster will it actually be? Might it be better to hoof it?

You can’t just stand there and think about it forever… remember, time is short. You have only ten minutes to get to A70 before they close the flight.

It’s up to you… what do you do?

###

UPDATE: Thanks for all the fun answers. As is often the case, we could have chosen MANY winners… but we had to pick one, and we picked Grace’s comment from all the ones below.

*Free prize! We’ll choose one answer from the comments and award a $50 gift certificate to Unconventional Guides. All answers must be in by Friday at 9am PST.

*The Unconventional Guide to Publishing, our first guide in 16 months (!) launches next Tuesday. If you’ve ever wanted to write a book, this is for you… more news on Monday.

Image: W3Y

Happy New Year!

On Sunday’s long run, I pushed it to 12 miles in honor of 2012. I then tried to eat 12 pieces of nutella pie as a reward, but that plan fell through after piece #2.

As you’re thinking about a new year, here’s a free tip: forget resolutions; think about living intentionally instead.

What matters to you this year? Do that.

What do you hope to build in 2012? Work on that.

***

Longtime readers may recall some of my travel hacking reports—how I went to a hair-loss clinic for 20,000 SkyMiles, earned 808,000 miles by buying useless stickers, took a free First Class side trip to Thailand while visiting Germany, and many more. This is a big part of how I see the world, traveling 200,000+ miles and to more than twenty countries every year.

With that in mind, here’s the first part of my travel hacking plan for 2012—and more important, here’s how YOU can earn free airfare to go wherever you want.

My Elite Status Plan: Hilton + Hyatt Diamond, AA Executive Platinum

In last year’s travel roundup, I shared how I have fewer countries to visit in 2012 than I do most years… but the challenge is that I no longer have any backup plans.

Since I travel all the time, achieving elite status with hotels and airlines is important to me. First, I’ll want to earn elite status with hotels, requalifying for Hilton Diamond and getting a new Diamond status with Hyatt. Last year I qualified for Hilton Diamond the hard way, by staying with them at least 28 times. This year, I want to keep that status, but I also want to switch to Hyatt, so I asked them to match my elite status through a challenge.

On the airline side, for the past two years I’ve made American Airlines and the OneWorld alliance my primary choice of carriers, though I travel on at least a dozen other airlines every year as well. With AA, I have Executive Platinum status—the highest one, and one that gives me access to First Class lounges around the world.

Unfortunately for me (and fortunately for AA), every year you have to requalify for the status… all elite-status earning clocks reset at zero on January 1. I need to earn 100,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) in 2012 to get to the top again, so of course I’m starting early by planning a big trip for the middle of January.

Good news: a special AA promotion offers double EQMs through January 31. It’s free, but you have to register first. This offer will help a lot, since I have an AA flight to Spain booked for the middle of the month.

Are you lost already? Don’t worry, it’s not that complicated. Here’s the easy part for those with U.S. bank accounts: if you can get an airline credit card or two (or three or more), you’ll be WAY ahead of the game. Card bonuses have become increasingly lucrative, and if you manage your credit well, you can easily earn enough miles to travel anywhere on earth.

100,000+ Free and Easy Miles

More than two years ago, I wrote about my attempt to earn 300,000 Frequent Flyer Miles in one month without flying. I did this by applying for more than a dozen credit cards all at once, and was accepted for every card.

The series of updates that resulted was one of the things that made this blog infamous, and I even got hate mail over it—some people were indignant about a decision they said would “ruin” my credit. But actually, my long-term credit score went up thanks to the cards. I always paid the full balance every month, and the card companies kept offering me new products. Since then I’ve earned an additional 700,000 miles through the same method.

Many of our readers have done the same thing in different ways, over and over. Whenever I host meetups or go on book tour, people share stories about taking their partner to Europe for the first time, going to Hawaii on vacation, or even funding their own Round-the-World trip thanks to credit card bonuses.

The other day I had coffee with a friend, and I asked her: “Hey, remember when I told you about those AA Citibank cards? And maybe a few others?”

“Yep,” she told me. “My husband and I got three cards each over the course of a few months, and earned more than 200,000 miles.”

Nice. This conversation, and many others that have come up recently, caused me to rethink my position on referrals. Despite years and years of sending people to credit cards that pay out big signup bonuses, I’ve never earned a single dollar in referral fees. Even in our commercial products, we’ve linked directly to the bank’s websites without any affiliate links.

After thinking it through and getting some advice, I’ve decided to create a page on the site where you can learn about the latest deals and offers. Unlike everything else I write about, I receive a commission if you apply through some of those links.

Of course, I only recommend cards I use myself, and if you don’t want to use those links, you certainly don’t have to. This page is just there for those who want it:

–>The Best Airline Credit Card Offers

I also wanted to get more active in sending people to these deals because they keep getting better. It used to be that most cards offered a 25,000 mile signup bonus, if they had one at all, and you always had to pay an annual fee to receive it.

Many years ago when I first got my Starwood card, I received no bonus of any kind—I was just thrilled to have a great card that earned transferrable points with every dollar I spent. Over the years I’ve used the points I earned later for nearly a hundred stays at nice properties all over the world.

These days, 50,000 is the new 25,000, and anyone with a U.S. bank account and decent credit can regularly take advantage of deals to earn large amounts of miles, several times a year. The new Chase Sapphire card is my recent favorite, with a 50,000 point signup bonus, no foreign transaction fees, points that transfer to United or Hyatt (among others), and the opportunity to earn double points for all dining and airfare purchases.

You can also get the Chase Ink Bold card for an additional 50,000 point bonus and all the same perks, or the AmEx Platinum Card that offers free lounge access and a $200 yearly statement credit on your choice of airlines.

On the credit card signup page, there are numerous other offers that are also very good. Yes, I’ve had all of them, and regularly cycle through new cards without any adverse affect on my credit score. If you need help on a specific recommendation or just have a general question, feel free to email me—I’m happy to give quick advice whenever I can.

Not everyone who reads this blog cares about travel hacking, and I respect those who prefer not to use credit cards for whatever reason. But if you’re responsible with your credit, this is a great, easy way to travel for nearly-free in 2012. That’s what I’ll be doing, starting at the end of next week…

Next Trip: Turkmenistan, Chad, and (maybe) Eritrea

After the flight to Spain on American Airlines (working on that elusive elite status), my next trip takes me to Turkmenistan in Central Asia, Chad in Central Africa, and hopefully Eritrea in Africa as well. I have all my tickets confirmed, and not surprisingly, all of the flights to my real destinations are booked with miles:

Turkmenistan: Booked on Turkish Airways via Madrid and Istanbul with U.S. Airways miles

Eritrea: Booked on Lufthansa and Egypt Air via Frankfurt and Cairo with U.S. Airways miles

Chad: Booked on Air France via Paris with Delta Miles

I say hopefully for Eritrea because after repeated attempts and three months of waiting (!), I still have no visa from the embassy in Washington, D.C. I’m desperately hoping they come through in time, and I’m excited about this first big trip of 2012 that begins next weekend.

First, though, I’m spending most of this week getting ready for next Tuesday’s launch of the Unconventional Guide to Publishing, our first new guide in… wait for it… more than 16 months.

I know, I know—what was I thinking in taking so long? But I’ve been busy with other things, and this guide will be worth the wait. I’ll tell you more about it early next week, right before the launch.

Happy 2012, everyone! Here’s wishing you happy travel hacking and many other good things this year.

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Image: Becky

On my last trip, I made it to a country I’d been wondering about ever since beginning my quest more than five years ago: Somalia.

Technically, I went to Somaliland, also known as the safe part of Somalia. Somalia itself is a mess, arguably the world’s most dangerous country, and with hardly a functioning government of any kind. (One of its recent prime ministers now works at the New York State Department of Transportation.)

People often ask me about visiting dangerous places, and I have a stock answer: there aren’t that many. Most countries around the world are about as safe as where you live now, so for the most part you don’t need to worry.

But it’s true there are a couple of exceptions, and Somalia is at the top of the list. That’s why I went to Somaliland instead, an autonomous region that should probably be its own country, but for the political situation of the African Union. Somaliland is practically it’s own country, with its own immigration procedures, currency, and easy way of life (no need to travel with a group of machine-gun carrying youth, as is the case in Somalia proper).

Getting There, Part I

Regular readers may recall that I first attempted Somaliland a couple months back, but was blocked by an unreliable travel agency and a questionable airline. This time, I switched agencies and airlines, but still almost got stuck. Up to the night I arrived in Nairobi from the Central African Republic, I still had no ticket for the early morning flight the next day.

Fortunately, this time everything worked out well. I rolled up to the African Express check-in counter at 5:30am and was able to buy a ticket in cash. $420 would get me to and from Berbera, Somaliland, via Mogadishu, with an additional stop in Wajir, Kenya on the return.

African Express offers no Frequent Flyer benefits or other travel hacking opportunities, so by making the mistake of boarding late I headed to the back of the plane—way back, to the very last row, as every seat was taken and the overhead bins were jammed with luggage and cargo from returning Somalis.

All Abord for Mogadishu (et al)

African Express

Questionable in-seat emergency instructions

A Colorful Passenger

Everyone was crammed in and we sat for another hour as the sun warmed up, but I was glad to be getting underway. I’d finally make it to Somalia! We eventually took off, flew for an hour and a half, then landed in Mogadishu. I was excited about landing in a city I’d read so much about (virtually nothing positive, unfortunately) and also happy that I wasn’t staying there.

We took off again, flew for another hour, then landed in my real destination: Berbera, Somaliland. Success!

Getting There, Part II

For better or worse, the journey that had begun with a 4:30am wakeup call to get to the African Express ticket counter wasn’t over. I was traveling to Hargeisa, the capital and major city of Somaliland, but until that morning, I didn’t realize that African Express flew only to Berbera, a much smaller, coastal city. (I later learned that the runway in Hargeisa is too small to accommodate the plane from African Express, though other airlines with smaller planes are able to use it.)

The two cities are connected by highway, but it’s at least a three-hour journey each way. This is kind of like flying to Seattle to go to Portland—possible, but not really ideal. And in the horn of Africa, a three-hour journey is a lot different than jumping on Amtrak or renting a car and heading down I-5.

Oops. I decided to look on the bright side: traveling via Somali minibus would definitely give me a chance to experience more of the local culture. Otherwise, I might have been tired and headed straight for my hotel, but this way, I’d have more of a chance to see Somaliland as most people see it.

Traveling in Somaliland: Notes from a Real Source

I’m always impressed with the people who read AONC, and after my last attempted visit to Somaliland, I heard from a young reader who recently spent a year teaching in a school there. Sophia wrote in to advise me on things to do on my next trip. (She also advised me not to attempt to travel on Jubba Airways again, a recommendation I was happy to take.)

With her permission, I’m sharing some of her notes here in case anyone else ends up in this part of the world.

Ambassador Hotel has the best coffee in the country (Maansoor hotel comes in a close second place). The other places to go for coffee are the Ethiopian cafes that cater to migrant workers and refugees. These are also worth visiting because they have very good food.

Somali food mainly consists of meat (goat, beef, or camel) and rice or potatoes. If you want camel meat (definitely worth trying), ask at your hotel—they’ll know the best places to get it. One cafe that specializes in camel meat is near the livestock market in Hargeisa, which is also quite cool. Livestock is one of Somaliland’s main exports, so markets like this one represent an important part of the economy and culture.

Finally, my favorite restaurant is called Daus Cafe. Run by Somali-Canadians out of a house near the downtown, the place serves up fresh food (best burgers in Hargeisa, hands down!). It’s seen as a secret hangout spot for members of the returned Somali diaspora, and speaking with some of them is a good way to get a sense of contemporary culture and politics in Somaliland. There are also a lot of foreigners who work in the various aid and development projects around the city. You might be able to find it by asking at Ambassador—one of the women who owned Daus was related to the people who own Ambassador (everyone seems to be related—clan is a major part of life in Somaliland).

Other things to do:

Waheen Market in downtown Hargeisa. Chaotic, congested, and colorful. Closed on Fridays.

Hargeisa School for the Deaf. A school run by local volunteers in the capital. Trains the hearing impaired in different trades and vocational skills (for example, henna). It is the first and only school in the country that remotely caters to students with special needs. Ahmed Shire is the contact person, but you can probably talk to people at Ambassador about arranging a visit.

Abaarso Tech. This is the school where I worked. It has two facilities—one in Hargeisa and one in the village of Abaarso, 20 minutes outside the city. The Abaarso campus is definitely worth checking out. Started as a premier English language boarding school by former Wall Street exec Jonathan Starr, Abaarso Tech is home to some of the most dedicated students in the world. The teachers are all native English speakers. The school is an interesting example of DIY development (think 3 Cups of Tea, a la Somaliland).The son of the owner of Ambassador is a student at Abaarso—they may be able to help you arrange transport there.

Las Geel. These are cave paintings located about an hour outside of Hargeisa. Securing a permit can be a bit difficult, so email me if you need help, or ask someone in Hargeisa. They can probably point you in the right direction. The person responsible for maintaining the site is an archaeologist named Sada Mire. Very interesting lady. Definitely talk to her if you get the chance.

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For the rest of my brief visit I was happy to follow as much of Sophia’s itinerary as I could, with the exception of eating camel, a dish that isn’t normally on my menu. However, four years of vegetarianism were briefly threatened when my guides stopped for a meal on the ride in and I was presented with a big bowl of goat. No offense to any goat-lovers or Paleo followers, but even if I did still eat animals, I think goat would be at the bottom of my list, right next to camel.

Happily, there was also a big bowl of rice, so I was able to successfully deter eating most of the goat in lieu of being really excited about rice with my guides. (“I love rice! Thank you SO much.”)

Homeward

Coming home, I had to reverse the process I had come in on—all the way back to Berbera (three hours by minibus, plus two additional hours waiting for the minibus), three hours waiting at the tiny airport, a long boarding process by airport shuttle bus, a flight to Mogadishu, another flight to Wajir, and finally to Nairobi, where I had—wait for it—five hours of sitting in the terminal before my midnight flight to London.

I often get tired when I travel, but I was even more exhausted than usual that day. After arriving in London I flew to the U.S. and was thrilled to travel on Virgin Atlantic for the first time in several years. I smiled at the difference in experiences: thanks to Frequent Flyer Miles, I traveled in Upper Class and enjoyed a nice meal with wine and dessert. I took a nap in my lie-flat seat and said several prayers of gratitude, while sipping a Bailey’s on the rocks.

Flying through Heathrow’s Terminal 3 before Christmas, I felt a bit of culture shock compared to declining my bowl of goat and riding Somali-style through one of the world’s most interesting countries just the day before. Then in the U.S., I met Jolie and we went to vacation-land for our Annual Review, another big contrast from where I had been.

I don’t think it’s bad to go on vacation or enjoy nice things. The reality is that there will always be people who have more than others (“the poor will always be with us”). Instead I think it’s important to remember the poor, to think about our place in the world and what we can do to to help.

Hearing Sophia’s story about volunteering in Somaliland was inspiring. It was a tough trip for me, a seasoned traveler, and personally I couldn’t imagine living there for a year. I was glad to visit, and I was glad to come home.

This trip brought me to just 16 countries left. I’ll be heading to my next two in just another two weeks, right after launching the Unconventional Guide to Publishing on January 10th.

More on that project next week. But first… a nap.

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Portland Area: The AONC Holiday Party is tomorrow night! A few tickets are still available—and we’re even giving away a hammock.

As part of the Annual Review series, I look back at everywhere I went in 2011.

As usual, it’s a long list! Despite a lull when I spent several months at home writing a book and preparing for WDS, I still made it to a decent amount of places.

All told, I made it to at least thirty countries, including twenty that were new to me. Highlights included a visit to a gorilla reserve in the Eastern Congo and running a half-marathon in Cuba, my final country in the Americas. I also traveled to every province in Canada for the conclusion of my first book tour, and lots of U.S. cities for various meetings, talks, transit stops, and adventures.

In rough chronological order, here’s everywhere I went in 2011:

Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, East Timor, North Korea, Monaco, Angola, Madagascar, Comoros, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo (Kinshasa), Gabon, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Uzbekistan, Australia, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Djibouti, Cuba, Central African Republic, Somaliland, and South Sudan

Note: this is the list of new countries. I also visited approximately 15 countries I’d been to before, on every continent except South America and Antarctica.

A Few Highlights

• Completed an “Axis of Evil” tour to Afghanistan, Libya, and Iran
• Successfully arrived in Angola without a visa
• Nearly got stranded in Comoros, but fortunately made it out (a tough one)
• Began my adventures in several Pacific islands (Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands)
• Got shut out of Nauru, but detoured to Australia
• Visited the world’s newest country, South Sudan
• Visited the gorillas in the Eastern Congo
• Ran the half-marathon in Cuba with Stephanie (that’s her photo in this post… see more here.)
• Traveled in a Somali bus for two three-hour trips (this just happened last week; full story in January)

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Update on the Journey to Every Country

The reason I go on many of these crazy trips is because of the quest to visit every country in the world. I began this journey about five years ago, and I’ve been dutifully traveling the world ever since.

Much to my surprise, I’m not falling behind on the goal—I’ve had plenty of hardships along the way, but I’m now well on track to finish in April 2013. In fact, I’ll end December with only 16 countries to go. Woop woop!

Yeah, I’m psyched… but I’m also a little afraid and uncertain of the future. Traveling the world has been a big part of my identity for a long time, and while I expect to keep wandering after 2013, there’s no doubt that some things will be different. I’m still processing what these means, and I’m sure I’ll be doing so for some time.

I’d usually say something like “next year will be even more intense,” but this time it may be different, since I’m down to less than 20 countries to go. I’ll still be traveling a lot over the next year, but the itineraries will become more specific. I’ll be visiting Sudan, Guinea Bissau, Turkmenistan, and several other countries that can be challenging to get to. I’ll also be preparing for the big finale in 2013. Everything is on track! And I’m still having fun.

Your Turn

Feel free to share your own travel list, high point, or misadventure of 2011. And by the way, don’t worry if you haven’t been to many countries this year… remember, I’ve been doing this a while.

I’m grateful I can do this and looking forward to another great year of travel in 2012.

What about you—where did you go in 2011?

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New to AONC? Check out The Art of Non-Conformity book, now on sale at Amazon for just $10.19.

Greetings, friends and readers.

I’m on the road as usual, and today I’m also excited to announce the release of a new manifesto, The Tower.

As with my two earlier works, A Brief Guide to World Domination and 279 Days to Overnight Success, this report is completely free, with nothing for sale and no email opt-in required.

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You can download your own copy here –>

The Tower — Main Download Link (PDF)

Kindle Version | Version for Printing

Tech Notes: This document is best experienced on an iPad (click the PDF in Safari to open a version in iBooks) or other tablet device.

If viewing on a regular computer, you’ll need the latest free version of Adobe Reader. For Kindle support, see this page.

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What It’s About and Who It’s For

This report is not about Frequent Flyer Miles or making money as a blogger, as much fun as those things can be. Instead, it’s about URGENCY and LEGACY—topics I’ve been thinking a lot about recently.

What if life were like a video game? How can we incorporate creative work and the desire to build something into our routine? What truly matters?

These are the questions I examine in the manifesto. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be traveling in Africa and then doing my Annual Review. Wherever you are in the world, I hope you’ll take some time to think about the next year and your own legacy project.

As always, thanks for reading.

Action #1: If you find the report interesting and valuable, would you please help in spreading it along?

You can post a link to this page or the whole PDF on your blog, through Facebook, or wherever you connect with interesting people.

Action #2: What does legacy mean to you… and what are you doing about it today?

Feel free to share your response to this question through the comments field.

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Image: Thomas